Better Man
by The Fallen Sky
Summary: Happy endings are only happy to some.


Title: Better Man  
Author: The Fallen Sky  
Rating: T  
Pairing: Chlark  
Summary: Happy endings are only happy to some.  
Warning: There's mentions of Chlollie.  
A/N: This is a short Chlark one-shot, and it's told from Oliver's POV. Also, this story takes place in a future AU.

* * *

I hate weddings. OK, that's not entirely true. But I hate this wedding. It's not that it's a bad wedding. Actually, if I'm being objective, it's one of the better weddings I've been to. The ceremony was nice. The reception is…well, it's actually really great. The food, drinks, music, hell, the entire venue is amazing. My only gripe is the newlyweds. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against either of them. It's just, the bride, she used to be my wife.

It's hard to believe that I was married once. I've never done well in the relationship department. Oh, I've had my share of "relationships," more than my share, in fact. But I've never been a long term kinda guy. That is...until her.

She's unlike anyone I've ever known. Well, I dated her cousin, but even though they're related and similar in so many ways, she's totally unique, especially when it comes to dealing with costumed heroes.

Before her, I was on a path of self destruction. I had all the material things anyone could ever want, but something was missing, something deep in my soul. I was filled with anger, but at the same time, I felt this immense emptiness. Nothing I did could fill the hole in me.

I tried making my business as successful as possible, but it didn't help. I put on a costume and fought the bad guys, trying to mete out justice, but it didn't help. I tried women and booze, but that didn't help. The only thing that alleviated my restlessness was her.

Lucky for me, she was also at a crossroads in her life. She was looking for something too. It seemed that fate had brought us together. We filled a need in each other, and along the way, we fell in love. Eventually, we got married, and I thought my life was perfect. I had everything I wanted and needed. But just like everything else in my life, I screwed it up.

Just a couple of years into our marriage, I started to get restless again. Things stopped making me happy. Being a successful businessman didn't make me happy. Being a hero didn't make me happy. Eventually, being married didn't make me happy.

I fell back on old habits. I sought out trouble in any and every way possible. I took unnecessary risks with my business and my extracurricular activities. I was spiraling out of control. She tried to talk me down, reign me in, but I wouldn't listen. We started fighting all the time. Eventually, I couldn't handle it, and I sought comfort in the arms of someone else.

I don't know why, but I didn't feel bad for what I'd done. Oh, I came clean, told her everything. Even though things had been bad between us for months, she was still devastated. I braced myself for an angry tirade, but all I got was a look of hurt, disappointment, and resignation. She walked away without saying a word. The divorce was finalized 10 days later.

She moved back home, to Metropolis, and got a job at the Daily Planet. She rekindled her friendship with her best friend from high school. In short, she got her life back on track.

Of course, things weren't going so well for me. It seemed that each day brought a new low. I'd wake up with a different woman in my bed nearly every day. Things just kinda blurred together, because I was in a state of near constant intoxication. I was teetering on the edge of oblivion.

Then, out of the blue, _he_ showed up. I walked into my apartment, and there he was. I asked him what he was doing there, and he told me he was worried about me. I couldn't help but laugh. Mr. Straight and Narrow, Mr. Perfect was worried about me? He never seemed too concerned in the past, so I asked him why he gave a damn what happened to me now. He said he didn't want to see me throw my life away. But he also said that if I _wanted _to destroy my life, there was nothing he could do to stop me. I wasn't convinced, so I asked him again why he was there. And he told me _she_asked him to come. She thought he might be able to help, thought he could save me.

It hit me then. All of the stupid stuff I'd been doing, all of the destructive behavior, it all came crashing in on me. I felt all the guilt and pain that I'd been repressing flood my soul. It's like my eyes were opened, and I could finally see how far I'd fallen. I didn't know how I'd get out of the hole I'd dug for myself, but he told me he'd be there for me, help me in any way he could.

I took him up on his offer of help. Slowly but surely, I got my act together. I quit the booze and women. I took my jobs as a businessman and hero more seriously. I cleaned myself up, got my self-respect and dignity back. There was just one thing missing. I wanted my wife back.

It took me a while to get my courage up enough to go see her, but eventually I did. I showed up at the Daily Planet hoping that being in public, at her place of work, she'd be less likely to make a scene and tell me to get lost. She was more beautiful than I remembered. The last time I saw her, she was dejected, defeated. The woman I saw in that newsroom was confident, vibrant, brimming with energy. She was happy.

I was nervous about how she would react to seeing me. When she noticed me standing there, her face lit up and she hugged me. Suffice to say, my hopes were soaring. I asked her if she wanted to go to lunch and talk. She said yes, and I knew my world was about to change.

We talked about all the things that had been happening in our lives recently. She told me how her career was exploding, and how she was up for a Pulitzer. I told her how I'd been slowly turning my life around. Things were going well, but I didn't want to ask her about giving us another chance, not yet. We'd need more than one lunch date to get past our issues, but it was a start.

Back at the Planet, I was about to ask her if she wanted to get together and have dinner, but _he_showed up, and my fragile hope was shattered. When she noticed him, a smile graced her face that was like the sun rising over the horizon. Her eyes lit up, and I'd swear she was glowing. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he leaned down and she leaned up, and they greeted each other with a slow, lingering kiss.

That's when I noticed it. On her left hand, I saw a glint of light. How did I miss that? I can't believe she didn't say anything. I can't believe I didn't see the ring when we were at lunch. I could feel my heart being torn apart in my chest. She was engaged. Worse still, she was engaged to _him_.

Fast forward a couple of months, and here I am, at their wedding reception, sitting alone at a table, watching the newlyweds dance. How did this become my life? How did I end up on the losing end of things? I'm the guy who always gets what he wants. I always win. Except, this time I didn't. This time, I lost.

Seeing the smile on her face, the affectionate way she touches him, the look of love and adoration in her eyes, leaves no doubt that she's head-over-heels in love with him. And why shouldn't she be? He's a stand-up guy. He always does the right thing, always puts the welfare of others before his own. He doesn't have any vices. He'll never abuse her trust, never break her heart. If he has a flaw, it's that he puts the world on his shoulders, tries to save everyone, even those that don't deserve to be saved.

I raise my glass and whisper a toast to the happy couple. "To Chloe and Clark, may your life together be a long and happy one." Downing the remnants of my drink, I give one final toast. "To the better man."


End file.
